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Twitch Upcoming!

We're delaying our Twitch till AFTER a very specific KS update. You'll know what one, we'll talk about the twitch in the update. We need all hands to get this one ready.
Which still means something good is coming.https://www.twitch.tv/missingworldsmedia

Tiger and Bunny, a Japanese Anime set in a future New York City in which the media and corporate sponsors play roles in the hero business. While it may have aired in 2011, it just now came out on Netflix as a new release.

Not only are the costume designs phenomenal (I especially like Fire Emblem's cape and Sky High's retro-futuristic look) but it really makes you think about how hero's would probably evolve in a media-driven world like we have.

I recommend watching the first episode, at least, to stimulatify your thinkizing.

I think once you get to the point of acceptance of powers/abnormal features etc you would get this developing if it was still relatively rare as the Corporations would move in and look to profit in someway while always providing an air of security to those under their employment.

Though the impression ive always felt with Titan's is that its still quite fresh in the minds of nations and their has to be a reason why those with powers are tending to flock towards one city in sort of isolation from the outside world. Likely it feels that it hasn't adapted and still feels uncomfortable if not scared of the power these people possess. However, It would be fun to see people who get their characters very well know on billboard advertisements etc should they want to turn their character into an advertisement piece for a time.

In a way having a sponsor fixes some of the problems of being a Hero. If a corporation is paying for the bills of training, equipment, and paying you, then there less stress in the normal life. Oh, I work at Megacorp as a security (Hero), instead of trying to be a Hero and keep a normal job that isn't in the know.

I be looking into this show on my Netflix account!

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Personal rules of good roleplay
1.) Nothing goes as planned.
2.) If it goes as planned it's not good RP

In a way having a sponsor fixes some of the problems of being a Hero. If a corporation is paying for the bills of training, equipment, and paying you, then there less stress in the normal life. Oh, I work at Megacorp as a security (Hero), instead of trying to be a Hero and keep a normal job that isn't in the know.
I be looking into this show on my Netflix account!

Then the hero finds out that Megacorp is doing some shady business and has to decide between his sponsorship and the right thing to do.

For a long time that was the Public cover for Tony Stark as Iron Man. That inside the Ironman suit was a highly trained security guard. Yes, some corporation could use a Sponsered Hero as a cover for shady things like The megacorporation Crey from dear City of Heroes.

Then again that would be the fun seeing such stories!

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Personal rules of good roleplay
1.) Nothing goes as planned.
2.) If it goes as planned it's not good RP

In a way having a sponsor fixes some of the problems of being a Hero. If a corporation is paying for the bills of training, equipment, and paying you, then there less stress in the normal life. Oh, I work at Megacorp as a security (Hero), instead of trying to be a Hero and keep a normal job that isn't in the know.

Then the hero finds out that Megacorp is doing some shady business and has to decide between his sponsorship and the right thing to do.

RottenLuck wrote:

For a long time that was the Public cover for Tony Stark as Iron Man. That inside the Ironman suit was a highly trained security guard. Yes, some corporation could use a Sponsered Hero as a cover for shady things like The megacorporation Crey from dear City of Heroes.
Then again that would be the fun seeing such stories!

I know, right! This would be such fertile ground for CoT missions and story arcs.

I was hoping someone would pick up on that. Actually I have some story ideas already about a Cape Chasers blogger who wants to work with your character to create crime in order to stop it. The hero gets fame and the blogger gets an exclusive and followers. So they find some down-and-out/homeless people and get them to rob stores for you to stop. Your character gets a choice to help them or not. In any case, you run afoul of a larger plot that reveals a more heavily funded endeavor to do the same thing, but with more lethal consequences. Terminally ill people or people with no hope are offered what amounts to huge life insurance payouts to their chosen beneficiaries if they agree to stage high profile crimes. After a few missions you realize that one of the Paragons is actually involved, working with a megacorp and media empire to drive ratings and build fame. This could be an epic boss battle when you confront them. I would even have the conspiracy include Overclock as an unknowing participant who's naivete had been taken advantage of. I'm working out all the plot details but that's the gist of it.

Project_Hero wrote:
I have an idea for a pop star superhero. The record company they'd be signed on with would be a subsidiary of (insert evil corporation here).
Wasn't Dazzler of X-Men fame a pop star singer?

Black Canary isn't quite a pop star, but she has a bit of a low-key Nine Inch Nails vibe.

Stan Lee's Striperella had an interesting profession, but I can't quite remember it now...

IIRC, the Stripperella TV show got cancelled due to a real life stripper in Florida who claimed that she "owned" the name "Stripperella" and came up with the idea for the character years before Stan Lee used it. She never managed to actually successfully sue anybody over it, but enough negative news buzz got generated that I guess they used the whole affair as an excuse to preemptively kill the show rather than let it snowball out of control.

It was a fun little show - I don't think it would've lasted as long as say South Park has but they probably could've gotten a few dozen more episodes out of it.

At first, I can see why a hero would go corporate. This issue is exactly why so many have unusual jobs, like reporter, private investigator, stay-at-home scientist, owner of big company, etc. It dodges the issue of "how do they Super and also not get fired?" This strategy isn't just for superheroes either. Those in horror stories, suspense, thrillers, etc, have odd jobs like writer which explains why they can up and leave to investigate something for two weeks out of the blue. Unfortunately, most people don't have jobs where they can just up and leave whenever, so this writing strategy gets too obvious after a time.

But, then I realized that big corporate funding usually doesn't go to new money or non-money. And, when it does, it is often only temporary. For example, if you designed a super-suit and went corporate, there'd probably be some legal mumbo-jumbo that allows the corporation to now own your suit. So about a year after you join, they just give that suit to one of their spot-light loving board members or a hired recruit with more combat training than you have, and you go back to the life you had before none the richer and now with no suit. To add insult to injury, you are legally forbidden from making another because they now own all associated patents. This strategy would probably not even raise eyebrows.

Basically, people starting projects of their own can't reliably depend on a single wealthy benefactor and so crowd-funding is taking the place of that. Speaking of which, this very game is crowd-funded! So, I wonder if crowd-funded superheroes could be a thing. Even if they didn't have high tech stuff to maintain, they'd still need money to live off while they full-time hero, so I could see crowd-funding sites for superheroes popping up. Or heroes using existing sites like gofundme.

It wouldn't work great for secret identities, given that someone could follow the money from the site, or make a crowd-funding site for a popular up-and-comer (who they are not) to scam people out of money. So, this would be more useful to people with no secret identity. Still, crowd funding could be a solid alternative for full-time heroing if you didn't want to risk going corporate.

Anyway being corporate and being crowdfunded are pretty different... At least on how they're viewed.

Crowdfunding seems a lot more wholesome for one. "I want to save people full time but I'll need your help, good citizen, to do it!"

There's a bunch of ways for Superheroes to be funded; government sponsored, corporate, they could have a YouTube show (like the new warriors but on YouTube), crowdfunded, private backer, get their funds from buried treasure... But I think the crowdfunding angle is a lot more modern of an idea.

I think (and I'm sure someone will correct me when I'm even slightly wrong about it) Booster Gold was big on being "famous" almost as much as being a hero. It was like his "goal" was to be famous/popular and being a hero was just a workable method for him to become those things.

Project_Hero wrote:

Anyway being corporate and being crowdfunded are pretty different... At least on how they're viewed.

I suppose one could split that hair if they wanted to. ;)

In all fairness the Captain Amazing sponsorship thing in Mystery Men was portrayed fairly cynically to the point where it was pretty clear Amazing himself was more interested in just maintaining his status and popularity than genuinely wanting to be a "selfless hero of the people". This was mostly why his accidental death was something you could say he almost deserved as a "correction" for all the bad Karma he was generating.

Project_Hero wrote:

Crowdfunding seems a lot more wholesome for one. "I want to save people full time but I'll need your help, good citizen, to do it!"

Project_Hero wrote:

But I think the crowdfunding angle is a lot more modern of an idea.

I'd be willing to agree it's an interesting twist to the old idea of "sponsored heroing". :)

Crowdfunding a hero who wanted to remain anonymous would still be pretty easy.

Hire a lawyer with power of attorney to administer a bank account in the name of the hero and transfer the funds over to your personal bank account. You just walk around with your normal ol' credit and debit cards. The lawyer is, of course, legally bound to protect attorney-client priviledge so he or she won't be telling anyone who you are. The lawyer would also be legally obligated to fulfill the promises of the crowdfunded campaign, such as "at $100,000 add fireproofing to the costume," and at $150,000 work with a professional artist to design a custom logo" before you get your cut of the income.

Project_Hero wrote:
I love the idea of a crowdfunded Superhero.
If we hit the 2M stretch goal I will save all the hostages!

OMG. You know, that's not really far from the historical truth. In know in America, before fire departments were paid for by taxes, they were paid for by the insurance companies (we're talking 18th century here). So the fire brigades would only save your dwelling if you had an emblem of the correct insurance company on it. Of course, if you didn't a number of fire companies would show up and watch your place burn until you paid one of them to engage it. They would sometimes get into fights with each other to get the business for big blazes. [edit: looked it up, that practice started in London and we just brought it over with us as colonies]

Kiyori Anoyui wrote:
Project_Hero wrote:
I love the idea of a crowdfunded Superhero.
If we hit the 2M stretch goal I will save all the hostages!
OMG. You know, that's not really far from the historical truth. In know in America, before fire departments were paid for by taxes, they were paid for by the insurance companies (we're talking 18th century here). So the fire brigades would only save your dwelling if you had an emblem of the correct insurance company on it. Of course, if you didn't a number of fire companies would show up and watch your place burn until you paid one of them to engage it. They would sometimes get into fights with each other to get the business for big blazes.
It's nearly a protection racket, no?

"This place seems real inflammable. One match and it'd go up a treat... It'd be a shame for that to happen. A real shame."

Kiyori Anoyui wrote:
Project_Hero wrote:
I love the idea of a crowdfunded Superhero.
If we hit the 2M stretch goal I will save all the hostages!
OMG. You know, that's not really far from the historical truth. In know in America, before fire departments were paid for by taxes, they were paid for by the insurance companies (we're talking 18th century here). So the fire brigades would only save your dwelling if you had an emblem of the correct insurance company on it. Of course, if you didn't a number of fire companies would show up and watch your place burn until you paid one of them to engage it. They would sometimes get into fights with each other to get the business for big blazes. [edit: looked it up, that practice started in London and we just brought it over with us as colonies]
It's nearly a protection racket, no?

When it really got to be a protection racket was when some of them were suspected of setting fires to drum up business.

Consider the fake leg makers wanted to make it law that people would have to lose a leg, so they got more business, I can believe those fire fighters did something akin to that back then :p Good thing the king said no to the taking of legs, even if he kept the wig rule.

Very Syndrome of them, setting a robot loose that you have the remote to so you can be the hero. "I have the means to save you, but I gotta get something in return".

Patreon has the same type of tier systems as well, same as Kickstarter. They also have things called Goals(KS: Stretch Goals). A.K.A. if we get X amount of money we will do this.... All crowdsourcing is the same, give me your money and I will continue to do this. So logically if the money is not there, the hero will not continue heroing, or whatever the case is. It's all about that money, money money.

But back to the point of how terrible the idea is, I am a big anime fan so I will definitely be checking this show out :D

—

The Carnival of Light in the Phoenix Rising
"We never lose our demons, we only learn to live above them." - The Ancient One

There are some things in the Crunchyroll version that didn't make much sense to me when I saw them. Then I saw that in the broadcast Japanese version there were actual sponsorships on the heroes with real life brands, like Bandai and Pepsi. In the crunchyroll version, suitable for international/North American audiences, all those brand logos are missing. So when Origami Cyclone always shows up in the background, it doesn't make much sense other than the fact that he's happy he made it into the photo. But once you realize that the big shuriken on his back should have the brand for ".ANIME" over his left shoulder, then it makes a whole lot more sense that he's always putting his left shoulder into photo opportunities.

Can I just come in here to gush about how much I love Tiger and Bunny? It's one of the best superhero anime I have seen in recent memory along with My Hero Academia.

The depiction of sponsored superheroes was new, at least to me, and gives me some interesting ideas for characters in the future. I could also see crowdfunded superheroes hypothetically being a thing. Say the hero has a really good power but they still are human physically. The hero goes to a crowdfunding website, shows what their power is with a crude ski mask, and then asks if folks can fund them so they can buy a protective and stylish costume from a costume maker. I imagine you could even have the hero's funding base vote on what direction the costume should go.

The only real issue I can see with this is villains could also view these sites too to see what new heroes are popping and what their powers are. Unless you can somehow proof the sites from most villains (doubtful).